Hey guys. So, I was really in the mood to write something, so I whipped something up. This is a two part one-shot that I've been thinking about for a while. I'm not sure when I'll get the next part written, though. I have a test next week and then a test the week after that, so my time is going to be limited.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Darkest Powers

This takes place about 2 years after the epilogue, so the twins are around 3 years old.

Derek's POV:

I finished the column I was on and scrolled down the page to find the next employee. Recent changes in staff required a change in schedule, something that required all my attention. I was so engrossed in my work, I didn't notice the addition to the room until two chubby fingers grabbed onto my sleeve and gently tugged. I pulled away from my computer and looked down to see Luke staring up at me. He smiled when he got my attention.

"Want up?" I asked, holding out my hands.

He walked into them and I lifted him onto my lap. He looked up at me and smiled again. "Hi, Daddy."

"How did you get all the way up here, huh?" I asked, my voice taking on the gentle tone it naturally did with the boys. "You're supposed to be downstairs with Mommy. Did you climb all those stairs?"

He nodded. "Nick with Mommy."

"Why don't we go see what they're up to, huh?" I asked. I shut my computer and stood up, cradling Luke into my side.

I stepped out into the hallway and closed the door to my office behind me. Heading downstairs, I followed the sound of voices into the kitchen, where I found Nick sitting in his booster seat at the table playing with his dinosaurs and Chloe flitting around the room as she prepared dinner.

"I think you lost something," I said, grabbing her attention.

She stopped and turned around. When she saw Luke nestled under my arm, she smiled and shook her head. "I knew where he was going."

I set him down next to his brother and walked up behind Chloe. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I leaned my chin on her shoulder and she leaned back against me.

"Need any help?" I asked.

"I've got our food done," she said. "But if you want to call the canines in for theirs…."

"Got it," I said.

Walking over to the backdoor, I opened it and looked out. They weren't in the yard.

"Charlie!" I called. "Noah!"

Loud crashing came from around the house and Charlie came running. As he trotted past me into the house, I said, "Waiting at the front door? The back one not good enough anymore?"

He ignored me and sniffed around the table, looking for crumbs. He smelled Nick and Luke's legs, resulting in their giggling. I turned back and called Noah's name again. After a minute of no response, I gave up for the moment and closed the door.

"Come on, boy," I said, patting my leg. Charlie followed me to his bowl and waited while I gave him his dinner.

"Noah didn't come?" Chloe asked from the stove.

"No," I said. "He's probably chasing a squirrel or something. I'll try again later."

"Hmm," she said. "He's been coming in later and later."

"What?" I asked. "Worried he's down at the bar having a drink with Snoopy and the Red Baron?"

She gave me that look and turned back to whatever was simmering in the pan. "I'm just saying that he's out in the woods a lot. Maybe there's something out there."

I leaned against the counter and crossed my arms. Thinking about what she said, I responded, "Maybe we should go for a walk tomorrow. See if we can find whatever it is that's keeping him."

"What about the boys?" she asked. "If it's something dangerous, we don't want them to get hurt."

"I'll bring them with me when I go to work in the morning and drop them off at Simon's," I said. "We can use one of Simon's days."

"He is getting behind," Chloe agreed. "I wonder what it is out there. It doesn't seem to interest Charlie at all. He's always here at dinner time and he's here most of the day."

"Well, we know food isn't involved then," I said, glancing over at where Charlie was pushing his empty bowl around the floor with his nose.

The boys laughed at the sight. Charlie's head shot up and he looked over at him. Knowing he had their attention, he raced over and under the table. Sticking his head up between the two of them on the other side, I watched as he sat down and wagged his tail. When Luke reached for one of his animal crackers I didn't stop him. He held it out and Charlie gently grabbed it from his hand with his teeth before practically swallowing it whole.

"One from Nick and that's all the treats for tonight," Chloe said.

Nick took his turn and Charlie waited until he figured out that they were done before he sauntered off. I turned back to the door and opened it.

"Noah!" I called.

This time, the loud crashing came from the woods in front me and Noah came barreling out.

"About time," I said.

He ran past me and stopped in front of his bowl, impatiently waiting for his food.

"Well, if you'd get here sooner, you wouldn't have to wait," I scolded. "Maybe tomorrow we'll figure out your secret."

….,,,,,…..

"You okay?" I asked as Chloe disentangled herself from the vines growing around the forest floor.

"Yeah," she said. "Just took me by surprise."

I held out my hand and she wound her fingers through mine. We hadn't been out here in a while. We couldn't leave the boys unattended long before they got into something, which limited our escapades.

"Do you even know what you're looking for?" she asked.

"No," I said. "But he does."

I gestured to where Charlie was happily weaving his way through the trees. Occasionally he veered off the path to chase something up a tree, but he eventually found Noah's scent again and continued on as leader.

We were deep into the woods before Charlie stopped outside some brush. He sat down where he was and looked back at us. If I didn't know better, I'd say the brush was some kind of gate. I stepped past him and looked back. He stayed where he was. His fur wasn't bristled or anything, so there wasn't anything bad on the other side. I gently peeled the brush apart and peeked. There was some kind of small hole in the ground. I let out a small whistle and Noah's head popped out. I stepped out, helping Chloe, but Charlie still remained where he was. Noah leapt out of the hole and ran over to me, jumping up and spreading mud over my shirt.

"Down, boy," I gently scolded. "Is this where you've been? Hanging around some hole in the ground."

"Uh, Derek?" Chloe said from where she was peering into the hole. "I think we have a problem."

I walked past Noah and stopped next to Chloe. Leaning over, I looked into the hole and froze. Two brown eyes stared back at me. Something moved at its side and my eyes shifted to see a small pile of sleeping puppies, their eyes not even open yet. Noah nudged my hand and gently ruffled under his ears.

I sighed. "So this is what you've been up to."

I leaned down and ruffled his ears. "You couldn't bring her home to meet the family before you got busy?"

His tongue lolled out and he looked from her to me.

"I think someone's a proud papa," Chloe said, kneeling next to me. She looked inside. "They're so little. What are the chances of them surviving?"

"Slim," I answered. "Especially with this storms coming in the next few days. They'll drown."

"Do you think we can take them out?" she asked. "Move them?"

"That's all dependent on her," I said, looking at the mother.

She watched us with weary eyes. Like Noah and Charlie, she was a golden retriever, but from the looks of her, she didn't belong to anybody. She was skin and bones and her fur was tangled and full of dirt and dried mud.

Noah pulled away from me and climbed back into the hole, laying down next to the female.

"You stay here," I told Chloe. "I'm going back to the house and grabbing a box. Maybe we can persuade her to move."

I stood up and said, "Don't touch her and don't get any closer. She might be feral."

Chloe nodded and settled onto her knees. Charlie was still sitting in his same spot when I stepped through the brush and he didn't follow me back to the house. One of his people was still there and he wasn't moving until she did. I ran to the house and found the biggest box I could find in the garage. Lining it with an old blanket, I carried it into the kitchen. Pulling out the box of dog treats Chloe had hidden and didn't think I knew about, I ran back to where I left her.

I quietly and carefully approached the hole and kneeled next to Chloe. I lowered the box on the ground and lifted the treats into Noah's line of vision. His ears perked up and he gently yipped. He stood up and came out of the hole. I handed him the treat and he chomped it down. I made sure the female was watching when I gave him the second. Treat after treat went into his mouth before I laid one at the edge of the hole and eased it inside. She eyed it wearily. I fed Noah another and she leaned forward and grabbed it between her teeth. She chewed it greedily and eyed the one in my hand. I did the same with the next one. When all hesitation was gone, I held one on the tip of my fingers and held it out. I slowly pushed it closer until it was in her reach. She glanced at me before taking it. After another handful, she stopped watching me when I held it out. I dumped a pile in front of her. While she was distracted, I eased my hand in and gently touched her head. She pulled back, but she didn't bite me. She hesitantly smelled my fingers and relaxed.

"Good girl," I said softly.

I tried again. This time, she let me touch her head. I ran my hand over her fur and lightly scratched beneath her ears.

"That's a good girl," I said.

When I pulled my hand back, she lifted her head and followed it. I reached back in and continued petting her with one hand. With the other, I reached to her side. Her eyes followed it as I set it down next to the pile of sleeping puppies. I slowly moved it closer, but she didn't give any signs of resisting. I scooped up one of them and held it in front of her face so she could smell it. She watched as I pulled it out and set it in the box. I repeated the process with the other four until it was her alone in the hole. I pulled back and held out my hand.

"Come on, girl," I said.

She attempted to rise, but her legs buckled underneath her. Chloe flinched next to me.

"I was afraid of that," I said.

I reached inside and carefully lifted her out. She let me hold her and I sighed at how light she was.

"Grab the box," I told Chloe.

She wrapped the blanket around them and lifted the box.

"Where are we taking them?" she asked.

"First things first, she needs medical assistance," I said. "We'll take them to the vet. We'll figure something out after that."

…,,,…

"She's very malnourished," Dr. James explained. "She's going to need a scheduled diet until she's back to a normal weight. And there's medication she's going to need. With this level of malnourishment, I'm amazed she's made it this far."

"Will she live?" Chloe asked.

"Oh, I have no doubt she will," he said. "She's a strong one. As for those puppies of hers, they're looking good. I'd say they're about a week old, so they should open their eyes soon. You'll have to schedule an appointment for next week to get their shots. And I believe Noah and Charlie are due soon as well."

I nodded. "They're due in two weeks."

"Good, good," he said. "So, who's the father?"

"Noah," I said.

"Decided to settle down, hmm?" Dr. James said. "He must be what, four years?"

"Five," I said.

"Good age," he said. He smiled over at me. "I'm assuming I'll be performing a castration or two soon, hmm?"

I looked over at where Chloe was laughing. "Yeah. I think now's probably a good time."

"Well, Noah might be a little late, but we can always catch Charlie before he gets any ideas," Dr. James said as he peeled off his gloves.

Chloe picked up the new box Dr. James gave us for the puppies and I picked up the mother. I settled them into the car before going back in and quickly setting up future appointments and getting the medication. Once I was back in the car and on the road home, Chloe finally spoke up.

"Well?" she asked. "What now?"

I sighed. "I don't know. We'll nurse her back to health and keep them until their old enough. We can't keep them forever."

"I know," she said. "The boys will be disappointed. They're going to get attached."

I nodded. "They're nothing we can do. We already have our hands full."

"Someone's going to have to watch her while we're at work," she pointed out. "She has to eat at least every three hours."

"We'll work something out."

I pulled into the driveway and found Simon's car parked in front of the house.

"Looks like he beat us," I said.

I pulled into the garage and killed the engine. "You grab the litter."

As I shut the back door behind me, the door to the garage opened and Simon stuck his head in. He opened his mouth, but the words died when he saw us.

"We'll explain later," I said. "Go upstairs and grab one of the blankets from the closet on the left and bring it downstairs."

"Got it," he said, running ahead.

We walked through the house, past the boys and Emily, who stared at us in surprise. I carried her into the living room and gestured Simon to lay the blanket on the floor in the corner. He spread it out and I lowered her onto it. Chloe kneeled down and carefully laid each one of the five puppies at her side, where they instantly starting whining until they found food.

We stepped back and faced the sea of confused faces.

Noah ran around me and smelled each puppy before settling in behind the female and laying his head down on her. He looked up at me, giving that innocent look.

"So, Noah's a father?" Simon asked.

"Apparently," I said. "Looks like he's been hiding it awhile."

"What are you going to do?"

"I suppose keep them until they're old enough and then give them away," I said, looking at Chloe, who nodded.

Megan walked in and took one look at the corner and her eyes went wide. "Where'd they come from?"

Simon laid his hand on her shoulder. "They're Noah's."

"Can I have one?" she asked, looking up at him.

He hesitated and I said, "You can when they're old enough."

He looked over at me and I just smiled. "One down, four to go."

Simon sighed. "Fine."

Shortly after, they took off. I was sitting by the blanket and slowly feeding the female from the canned food the vet recommended. Noah was asleep next to her, his attention surprisingly not on the food. Small hands tugged on my shirt and I turned my head. Luke and Nick were standing behind, watching the new additions to the house.

"What that?" Nick asked, pointing at one of the puppies.

"It's a puppy," I said. "It's a baby dog."

"Baby dog?" Nick repeated.

I nodded. "They're Noah's babies. Just like you two are Mommy and mine's."

"Pet it?" Nick asked, looking up at me.

"You have to be very careful," I said gently. "Sometimes mommy dogs don't like that. You have to let her know you first."

I set down the food and pulled both boys into my lap. "Hold out your hands."

They did as they were told and she leaned out and smelled each ones. Her tongue came out and swiped across Nick's. He smiled and looked up at me. I reached over and carefully picked up the nearest puppy, who was already awake. Holding it in my hand, I held it in front of the boys.

"You have to be very careful," I said. "A puppy is very small and if you pet it too hard, it can break."

"Bird?" Nick asked.

"Yes, like a bird," I said. "Do you guys remember how you petted the baby bird at the zoo?"

They nodded.

"Really lightly," I said.

They reached out and ran their fingertips over the puppy's back. I was so focused the mirroring smiles on their faces, I didn't notice the camera going off until it was too late. I heard the click and I looked up to see Chloe standing in the doorway with the camera up. She looked up and smiled at me as she took another.

"Mommy," Luke said. "Puppy."

She walked over and kneeled next to us.

"It is a puppy," she said, softly. "It's soft, isn't it?"

They both nodded.

"Why eyes?" Nick asked.

"When puppies are both, they can't see yet," I explained. "In a few days, they'll open their eyes."

I set it down with the others and wrapped my arms around the boys. "Now, I know you guys like the puppies but you have to remember not to pet them unless either Mommy or I is with you, okay?"

"Okay," they said in unison.

Luke reached out and ran his hand across the female's head. She licked his hand gently and laid her head back down.

"What her name?" Luke asked.

I looked over at Chloe. She opened her mouth and closed it. I looked back down at the boys.

"She doesn't have one," I said. "Why don't you two think of one?"

"Nana," Nick said and Luke nodded.

I looked over at Chloe in confusion. She mouthed 'Peter Pan' and I suddenly remembered the movie they watched this morning.

"Well, Nana it is," I said. "And I think it's bedtime for two little lost boys, huh?"

"One minutes," Nick said, giving me that look.

"Uh uh," I said. "Besides, Nana and her puppies need their rest."

Each boys reached out and petted Nana and Noah. "Night."

I lifted Nick up and Chloe took Luke. They looked over our shoulders and waved their goodbyes as we carried them up to bed. They each had their own bed, but they still shared a room. We were leaving that up to them. When they got old enough and wanted their own room, we'd separate them.

After changing them into their pajamas, we laid them down and tucked them in. It was Luke's turn to pick story and they were asleep before it was over. We quietly snuck out and downstairs. I watched as Chloe laid a blanket over the little family in the corner. When she was satisfied that they were okay, we finally headed up to bed. Before I shut the door, I whistled softly, a different pitch than before. Charlie came running to his whistle and I held the door open for him. He jumped up onto the bed and settled down.

"I'm not enough company?" Chloe asked, joking.

"I figured he'd like some," I said. "He stayed away from her and the puppies for a reason. I don't think Noah likes him so close to them yet."

"What are we going to do with them when they get big enough?" she asked.

"Well, we've already got one home lined up. We just have to find four more," I said.

"And Nana?" she asked.

I sighed. "We have to play it by ear on that one."

"Already getting fond of her?" Chloe asked, smiling that knowing smile.

I gave her a look and crawled into bed next to her. She tucked herself under my arm and nestled her head on my shoulder.

"Goodnight," she said, sleep already taking over.

I kissed her forehead. "Goodnight."

And part one is done. Part two will probably be shorter that this, just a warning. If you guys have any other one-shot ideas you want to read for this, just let me know. I have a growing list. And if you guys don't mind, I have a new poll on my profile which will determine my next story. The summaries are on my profile. Please read them before voting. I will be making my decision for my next story probably around the end of December so I can start my new year with a new story.